Double or turndown collar



Dec. 27, `1966 F. sElLER 3,293,662

DOUBLE OR TURNDOWN COLLAR Filed March 11, 1963 7 Sheets-Sheetl 1 PRIOR ART PRXOR ART Flg 3 PRIOR ART 2 T TOR/VE YS Filedmarch 11,1965 7 sheets-sheet r2 Dec. 27, 1966 F. sl-:ILER l 3,293,662

DOUBLE OR TURNDOWN COLLAR /NVENTOR FRI-rz SE/LER Dec. 27, 1966 F. sElLER 3,293,662

DOUBLE 0R TURNDOWN COLLAR Filed March 1l, 1965 '7 Sheets-Sheet :S

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/NVENTOR FR/Tz SLE/LER B66211966 6 RSEILER 3,293,662

DOUBLE OR TURNDOWN COLLAR Filed March 11, 1965 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 /NVENTOR 6 F12/TZ SE/L En Dec. 27, 'WW F. @mmm DOUBLE OR TURNDOWN COLLAR '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March l1, 1963 gms/wim Fn :T2 .ss/.LER

awww@ Dec. 27, 1966 F. SEBLER DOUBLE OR TURNDOWN COLLAR 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed llarch l1, 1963 me/wwf: FRvTL SE1/.ER

Dec. 27, 1966 F. salu-:n 3,293,662

DOUBLE OR TURNDOWN COLLAR Filed March 11, 1963 '7 Sheets-Sheet '7 United States Patent O 3,293,662 DGUBLE R TURNDOWN CULLAR Fritz Seiler, Corcelles, Neuchatel, Switzerland, assigner to Edouard Duhietl et Cie (Societe Anonyme), Couvet, Neuchatel, Switzerland t Filed Mar. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 264,197 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Apr. 17, 1962, 4,761/ 62 Claims. (Cl. 2131) Sport shirts and, to a large extent also, sport blouses,

lumber jackets, Cardigans and sweaters, well for ladies as for men, are nowadays generally made with a turndown or double collar. These collars, knitted with various types of stitches, are generally rectangular or have the shape of an isosceles trapezoid. The latter fashion is generally obtained by increasing or reducing the number of needles knitting in the needle beds, on machines appropriately equipped, i.e. on machines comprising either widening or narrowing devices or both. p

In view of the fact that the knitting of a simple rectangle does not present any diiiiculty and that moreover such knitting may be effected on an ordinary knitting machine, most of the turndown collars are made in this shape and longitudinally folded in the middle along a straight line. The edge formed by the last knitting rows is then sewn to the neckband of the garment while the beginning, Le. the net and the welt, which appears as clean edge, remains free at the exterior of the ready-towear knitted fabric.

The rectangular collar as well as collars of trapezoidal form have the drawback, that once worn, the free outer edge wants length with respect to the sewn inner edge and consequently does not adapt itself correctly to the shape of the neck and tends to climb along the neck in a very inaesthetical manner. This drawback persists even if the collar is given a strongly marked fold, the realization of which may be facilitated by the manufacture in this longitudinal folding Zone of some rows of simple stitches knitted on one of the two needle beds only, whereby the stitches of the other needle bed are somewhat elongated in consequence.

If one would try to avoid such climbing of the collar as mentioned above by making the outer portion narrower, then the collar would have a bad appearance at `the front, the under portion being then wider than the upper portion, which latter would then seem skimpy.

The present invention has for its prime object a method of knitting a collar in which the above mentioned drawbacks are suppressed owing to an asymmetrical fashion, i.e. owing to a fashion diifering for the lower and upper portion of the knitted piece. This fashion, which is novel in knitting, is obtained by the knitting of the folding rows on one bed not along a straight longitudinal line, but curved in such a manner, that once the collar is turned down, the inner portion is narrower on the forward zone, than the cuter portion which generally are called the tips of the collar. The asymmetry of both distinctive portions of the collar may be increased by shaping (tlechage), ie. by intentional deformation of determinated knitting zones by accumulation of successive stitch rows more or less incomplete in length in the mentioned zone. In the case of a turndown collar, such shaping (flechage) may be effected either in the central zone of the inner portion or in both outer portions of the tips of the collar or even in a combination of both variants and this as well for a collar of rectangular as for a collar of trapezoidal shape.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description now to follow, in which reference will be made to the accompanying drawing, showing several types of collars obtained according to different methods namely according to the heretofore "ice known method and according to the method of the present invention. The drawing also illustrates the appearance of such collars when worn. In these drawings:

FIGURE l shows a simple rectangular collar of conventional manufacture with a narrow zone along a straight longitudinal line of stitch rows knitted on one bed for the folding of the collar. t

FIGURE 2 represents the same type of collar but with the outer portion of trapezoidal shape with inwardly turned tips. i

FIGURE 3 shows, diagrammatically, a collar with trapezoidal outer portion, but with outwardly turned tips obtained by narrowings. t

FIGURE 4 shows the same collar as FIGURE 3, but

knitted by widening of the tips.

FIGURE 5 diagrammatically illustrates a rectangular or trapezoidal collar with curved folding line according to the present invention. t

FIGURE 6 indicates in a deformed scale the Zones of shaping (echage) and the effect of such shaping (ile- 'chag-e) on the shape of the edges and on the tips of the collar. l t

FIGURE 6a is similar to FIGURE 6 but is drawn on right width proportions,

y In the above FIGURES 1 to 6 inclusive, the collars are drawn flatly and inthe knitting direction T on the machine.

FIG. 7 shows on one half of the knitted. piece one practical realization of the folding curve.

FIGURE S explains, diagrammatically, and in a representation similar to that of FIGURE 7, another method for obtaining the folding curve.

FIGURE 8a is similar to FIGURE 8, but shows the actual slackened form of the knitted piece;

FIGURE 8b is a perspective view of an actual collar made in accordance with the procedure of FIGURES 8 and 8a;

FIGURE 8c is a plan view of the collar of FIGURE 8b prior to folding;

FIGURE 9 is asection taken along the line I--I of FIGURE 7.

FIGURE l0 shows in a cross sectional View one of the six pieces according to FIGURES 1-6 after the folding to a turndown collar but previous to the attaching ofthe collar to the neck-band of the garment.

FIGURE 11 illustrates about the neck of a person a conventional rectangular collar, and

FIGURE l2 illustrates in the same manner a collar according to the invention when worn.

The collar shown in FIGURE l represents the most simple shape of such a piece, namely that which may be manufactured on any flat knitting machine having two needle beds and the possibility of manufacturing simple stitches on one bed. In this ligure reference numeral 1 designates the free lower edge as obtained for example by the conventional starting and welt. Reference numeral 2 designates the portion of the collar which once the collar has been turned down, will form the exterior thereof and comprising the two tips 2a. Reference numeral 3 indicates the narrow band marking the fold line and obtained in a well known manner by one to four stitch row successively knitted on one needle bed and designated as wales, the stitches in the inactive needles on the other bed being elongated `during this operation. Thereby it is formed on the front of the knitted piece something like a bunch represented more clearly in FIGURE 9. In the knitting of the piece there then follows the zone 4 which, after the turning down, will form the interior of the collar. The piece ends with a section 5, effected in tubular knitting and divided into two bands 5a and Sb, the first of which 5a will later on serve to the mounting of the finished garment, and is consequently knitted with the same material used to manufacture the collar, while the second band b represents a supplementary portion which is used to maintain the border on the linking-machine. As this portion 5b is cut away after the attaching of the collar to the garment, it may for this reason be knitted with an inferior thread quality, for example with cotton.

This tubular zone 5 is closed for technical knitting requirements (attachment of the next following piece by a drawing thread) by some rows of 1:1 rib knitting indicated by reference numeral 6. This closed edge 6 at the same time prevents involuntary damage of the tubular knitting by the formation of ladders previous to, the attachment of the collar to the garment. For the latter operation the mentioned 1:1 knitted rows will be cut or opened in order to obtain the open edge 5 as indicated in FIGURE 9,

The manufacture of the collar shown in FIGURE 2 is basically the same as for that of FIGURE 1, with the eX- ception that the outer portion 2 in this example is fashioned in the shape of an isosceles trapezoid with the sides 2'b inclined towards the middle of the piece, so as to obtain inwardly turned tips Z'a. Such a fashion requires for its realization an appropriate machine equipped with a widening device, for example with a Jacquard device on both needle beds. On its length 6a, at both ends of the edge 6 and between the points A and B the final stitches are simply knocked over and the starting of the next following piece is effected on the length B-B only.

A trapezoidal collar with outwardly turned tips i.e. with tips extending away from the center of the piece may be knitted according to two different methods, diagrammatically illustrated by FIGURES 3 and 4, respectively. For the collar of FIGURE 3, the knitting of the successive zones 2-5 is effected in the same sequence as in the preceding examples. However, the tips 2a may be obtained by narrowings only, in other words, only on a machine provided with an appropriate narrowing device. The transition to the next following piece may in this case not be effected directly, since the two ends 1a of the new edge 1 between the points C' and D hang freely and are not submitted to the action of the take-down mechanism for the knitted fabric. Consequently, an auxiliary zone 7 must be inserted with oblique selvedges 7a forming the connection between the points C and D. The width of this Zone between the lines 6 and 8, is determined by the maximum inclination which shall be obtained by the widenings. This supplementary width may, as the band 5b, be knitted in a cheap material. The piece ends by a closed edge 8.

In the cases where there is Vno machine provided with a narrowing device, which will be the major part of the cases, the knitting of the collar with outwardly turned tips must be effected inversely with respect to the preceding example, so that such tips may be obtained by widening operation. This case is illustrated in FIGURE 4. The piece starts with a closed edge 6 resulting from the usual set up and is successively continued by the zones 5, 4, 3 and 2. The more or less marked inclination of the selvedges 2b determinate the fashion of the tips 2'(1. As in the example of FIGURE 2, the protruding portions l'a at both ends of the edge 1 between the points E and F may be terminated by simply knocking overthe final stitches.

When comparing the two manufacturing methods just described with regard to FIGURES 3 and 4, it appears that the first of these methods supplies a closed and clean outer edge 1 which may be used just as it is for the finished collar. However this method leads to certain losses in material and production owing to the requirement for an auxiliary zone 7 which must be removed together with a band 5b before the collar is attached to the garment. On the other hand, the solution according to FIGURE 4 does not present such lossesv but results in an edge 1 which being a transition element at the end of the piece for the reception of the well known drawing-thread,

does not have the stitch structure and the appearance of a clean article. It is necessary therefore, to make the finition separately, for example with chain stitches on a linking-machine.

All above described elements are also to be found in the examples of FIGURES 5 and 6, with the exception of the Zone 3 marking the fold line which in these examples is no more a straight line but a curved line. This particularity, which forms the main subject of the present invention, divides the total width l of the piece at both selvedges into two different partial widths l1 and l2 and results in a better adaption of the finished collar to the shape of the human neck. This novel `feature may be applied as well to rectangular as to trapezoidal collars (indicated in broken lines),

An even better article may be obtained as far as the correct fashion of the different portions is concerned, by accentuating the curving of certain contours by making use of a system of shaping, sometimes referred to as flechage This system which is well known per se in the knitting art and is for this reason not described in more detail, consists generally in the intentional deformation of the profile of the piece or of determinated portions thereof either in two or in three dimensions. This fashioning effect `is obtained by the accumulation in the determinated zones of a larger stitch volume, said stitches being distributed in accordance with the desired result. In the case of the collar of FIGURE 6 as well as in the case of the preceding examples of FIGURES 1-5 such filling by supplementary stitch rows of different lengths may take place either in each of the tips 2a of the Zone 2 resulting in the neck line H in the middle of the eX- terior portion of the collar, or, in the central portion 4a of the zone 4 resulting at this point in an arch or bend W at the inner portion, or else, it may take place at all three places simultaneously. In practice, the filling appears for the first variant in the form of two separated groups of successive rows chained to each other in serpentines of lengths decreasing progressively towards the respective lateral selvedges. For the second variant it ap pears in the superposal of continuous rows independent from each other and the length of which alternatively increases towards the zone 5. In order to improve the clarity of the drawing as well the neck-line H as the arch or bend W have been shown exaggerated in FIG- URE 6 so that in the center of the piece, the width I3 appears smaller than the width 11. In fact, both these measures are of course equal, as shown in FIGURE 6a, in order that the outer portion of the turned down collar (zone 2) entirely covers the inner portion (zone 4), as shown in FIGURE 10.

The practical execution of the curved fold line may take place according to two different methods, diagrammatically illustrated by FIGURES 7 and 8, respectively. In the method according to FIGURE 7, the said curve actually consists in a great number of juxtaposed small rectangles, each formed by several wales obtained on one bed and called bunches These rectangles are stepped with respect to each other approximately half of their height. In accordance with the desired inclination of the curve, the length of such rectangles may be varied. For example, in the middle portion where the curve is relatively at, there may be provided a series of elongated rectangles 3a and at the selvedges, i.e. at the steeper parts of the curve, a larger number of shorter rectangles 3b.

On the other hand, the method according to FIGURE 8, makes use of the natural tendency of deformation produced by the shaping (flechages). To this end after shaping (flechages) has been effected in both tips of the outer Zone 2, the outermost stitches of the serpentines are connected with each other at the reversal points P by means of at least one through-going row of simple stitches formed on one needle bed whereby this row in the liberated knitted piece by itself takes a curved form thereby marking the fold line according to the invention. FIG- URE 8b shows a perspective view of an actual collar resulting from the knitting procedure of FIGURE 8; and FIGURE 8c is a plan view of the collar of FIGURE 8b prior to folding, In FIGURE 8c, the reference characters corresponding to those in FIGURES 6 and 8a have been applied.

In FIGURE 8 the shaping (tlechages) is illustrated diagrammatically only in order to facilitate the comprehension. The successive stitch rows are consequently represented as being straight, as they are at the moment where they are formed by the needles of the machine and under the eifect of the takedown device. In the slack piece they will be deformed. The character of the succssive rows linked in form of serpentines 2b and with decreasing lengths clearly appears. These rows are obtained in a manner known per se by means of two independent thread carriers operating simultaneously in the same direction as the machine carriage, one of which reproduces in the half of the piece that is not represented the inversed exact reection of the shaping (iiechages) executed by the other. Due to the diagrammatical representation in straight lines of the stitch rows 2b, their points of return P are not at the correct place in the drawing. Actually these points are situated as is obvious from the preceding description at the height of the tips P', i.e. at the edge or the folding line 3', as illustrated in FIGURE 8a. The interlacing of the shaping (flechage) rib stitch rows 2b and their attachment to the plain stitch row 3 of the curved fold line is shown clearly in FIGURE 8c. In the example shown, the shaping (iiechage) rows are staggered by twos, but other steps, eg., 3 or 4 or 5 or 6, are also possible.

The features of the different knitting zones and more particularly the bunch 3 formed by the simple stitches made on one bed with the elongated stitch on the other bed as well as the open edge 6 obtained by the tubular knitting S clearly appears from FIGURE 9.

FIG. 10 represents a folded collar and makes particularly visible its sandwich arrangement on the neck-band C of the garment V.

The attachment of both these pieces may be effected for example on a whip-stitch sewing machine.

The sketch of FIGURE 11 finally illustrates the bad seat when worn of collars of conventional manufacture with the rearward portion climbing, with the tips backwardly drawn and with the folds around the neck. On the other hand. FIGURE 12 illustrates the good seat of a collar made in accordance with the present invention, closely following the contours of the human neck resulting in a perfect appearance similar to that of the best collars of woven shirts.

The three basic examples of the tips of the collar according to FIGURES 1, 2, 3, 4 are adapted to various modifications not represented but included by the invention. For example, the selvedges 2b, Z'b, 2b and 2b may present any desired curve. The lower corners of the tips 2a, 2a, 2a and 2a could be rounded etc. Likewise the type of stitches used for the knitting of the whole collar or of certain portions thereof, may be varied as also it could be possible to make use of Jacquard dessins, stitch transfer, cardigan effects and so on.

I claim:

1. A knitted turndown collar comprising an outer portion; an inner portion; a fold line portion joining said outer and inner portions, and which defines a predetermined curved fold line, said outer and inner portions being asymmetrical with respect to each other and with respect to the curved fold line; and said fold line portion comprising wales in the form of juxtaposed rectangularly shaped bunches which are stepped with respect to each other at their respective junctions.

2. The knitted turndown collar recited in claim 1 wherein the collar is of quadrangular form.

3. The knitted turndown collar recited in claim 1 wherein the outer portion is of trapezoidal form.

4. The knitted turndown collar recited in claim 1 wherein the outer portion is further characterized by two tip portions having inclined lateral selvedges, whereby a substantially open collar front is obtained.

5. A knitted turndown collar comprising an outer portion; an inner portion; a fold line portion joining said outer and inner portions and which denes a predetermined curved fold line, said outer and inner portions being asymmetrical with respect to each other and with respect to the curved fold line; and, in at least one of said two first-named portions, including supplementary stitch rows of diiferent lengths, the reversal points of said supplementary stitches being joined by a through-going row of simple stitches thereby defining said predetermined curved fold line.

6. The knitted turndown collar recited in claim 5 wherein the collar is of quadrangular form.

7. The knitted turndown collar recited in claim 6 wherein the outer portion is of trapezoidal form.

8. A knitted turndown collar comprising an outer portion; an inner portion; a fold line portion joining said outer and inner portions, and, in said outer portion, a plurality of successive rib stitch rows, at least one end of which rows are successively stepped, a through going row of plain stitches at said fold line joining reversal points of said successive rib stitch rows and when said rib stitch rows deform in slackened condition at said fold line produce curvature thereof and make said outer and inner portions asymmetrical with respect to each other and with respect to the fold line.

9. The knitted turndown collar recited in claim 8 wherein the collar is of quadrangular form..

10. The knitted turndown collar recited in claim 8 wherein the outer portion is of trapezoidal form.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES I. B. Lancashire: Focus on Collars.

Trade Journal, May 1961, pages 84-87.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

RUSSELL C. MADER, Examiner.

P. C. FAW, I. R. BGLER, Assistant Examiners.

In The Hosiery 

5. A KNITTED TURNDOWN COLLAR COMPRISING AN OUTER PORTION; AN INNER PORTION; A FOLD LINE PORTION JOINING SAID OUTER AND INNER PORTIONS AND WHICH DEFINES A PREDETERMINED CURVED FOLD LINE, SAID OUTER AND INNER PORTIONS BEING ASYMMETRICAL WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER AND WITH RESPECT TO THE CURVED FOLD LINE; AND, IN AT LEAST ONE OF SAID TWO FIRST-NAMED PORTIONS, INCLUDING SUPPLEMENTARY STITCH ROWS OF DIFFERENT LENGTHS, THE REVERSAL POINTS OF SAID SUPPLEMENTARY STITCHES BEING JOINED BY A THROUGH-GOING ROW OF SIMPLE STITCHES THEREBY DEFINING SAID PREDETERMINED CURVED FOLD LINE. 